I have a really big problem now. I have followed the instructions that a previous member had given to me. The instructions on installing my used geforce 2 card from him were: (notice the bold underlined words)
1. Download the drivers off nvidia's site (because I did'nt have them)
2. Go into device driver and uninstall my integrated graphics that come with my "HP Vectra VL400" pc. Than shut down.
3. Install the Nvidia card
4. Reboot and enter the bios and enable agp in the advanced options. save and exit. Than let it boot normally.
5. Once on the desktop, install the forceware drivers that I downloaded from the Nvidia site. Than reboot when prompted, and adjust my settings when back on my desktop.
6. That's when I should have supposedly finished the process!!!!
I tried that process and I had problems... The following is the only way I can explain my problem. This is where I'll take us way back to when I did'nt have the forceware, or even installed the card, or even done anything... When I bought this card and brought it home it had no driver cd. So me thinking it would probably work without them I installed it in the agp slot on my mobo. When I did so I turned on my pc and it boot normally except the screen was srambled. It was scrambled all the way to the xp desktop. But it was still visible though scrambled. I'd than restart my pc with the agp video card still in my pc and it would boot perfectly clear. It would go up to the xp desktop and still work fine. No problems whatsoandever. I tried a 64 bit 3D video game and it ran fine! No problems. Now when I'd shut off my pc after that first reboot mentioned (where it began to work), my vid card would be back to sqaure one and I would have to let it run to the desktop than reboot again for it to work. Here's where it get's tricky... you have to pay attention to detail as I write. Remember to notice what is in bold and underlined.
I than posted my problem and was met with a reply by you guys that had said the instructions you all kept telling me which I wrote above (step 1- 6). I did that. Now when I did all that my pc would still start up scrambled on the HP logo (I have an HP Vectra VL400)... So it would start up scrambled on the HP logo (you know when it says press F1, F2 - to go to bios etc)... After it would be scrambled when the Hp logo passed, the Windows XP boot progress logo would come on prefectly clear and as if the card were in perfect condition. And it would proceed that way throughout the entire way til desktop. I could view photos, documents, etc. Except now when I'd go to play that 64 bit video game (I used that game as a reference), the game would freeze before it goes into 3D mode after its basic 1D menu for the game. & I'd have to use windows task manager to close the game, or wait two secs until the game would run in 3D for about 3 seconds and press "X" to close it. Meaning that it just would'nt run the game, though it did before I followed all your steps (1-6). You know before I did anything and the way I had to get the card to work was simply put it in and reboot after the first boot as I wrote above.Another thing about the game not working after the steps I followed that you guys gave me... The desktop icons words looked shaky on the desktop. Like kinda shaky... & if I'd reboot it would make the HP (press F1, or F2 screen), look all scrambled again until the Windows XP boot progress and it would look fine again. But the game would still not run. & this process would just continue like that. & yes I did run the screen size at it's maximum size and highest bit rating, and I tried running it on it's lowest screen size and lowest bit rating too. & that just did'nt work.
Why would the card work with no drivers on a second boot up, and not when I installed the drivers and followed your steps?
The only thing (remember to notice what is in bold and underlined), the only thing that I did differently was step 3 which I wrote above that you guys gave me, which was:
2. Go into device driver and uninstall my integrated graphics that come with my "HP Vectra VL400" pc. Than shut down.
I did not uninstall it in my device manager I just disabled it in my device manager. Because I'm not going to uninstall it and than if it all still does'nt work I won't be able to get the screen to work ever again and I will lost the integrated graphics. & if it ends up having to do anything with re-installing Win xp to get my integrated graphics back I will lose my data on my pc. & If I try to use system restore, I dunno if I'll get my integrated graphics back after uninstalling them by using that. So what I choose to do when I rearranged step 2 was to:
DISABLE the integrated graphics in the device manager not UNINSTALL them. & than I followed every other step accordingly.
Is my system getting confused as to what video to use (onboard, or my agp card), even though I disabled the integrated graphics on step 2?
I have the latest NVidia drivers that you guys suggested which were the "81.98_forceware_winxp2k_english_whql" for my card. Could it be these drivers don't work? That I need different ones?
Is it that I need to actually uninstall my integrated graphics in the device manager?
Note: this is exactly what I had disabled in step 2 in my device manager "Display Adapters\Intel® 82815 Graphics Controller (Microsoft Corporation)
Did I disable the wrong one in my device manager?
Am I getting the wrong process in order to have the card working in my system?
Why is it that I can use my vid card and play games with it following no process and than not be able to when I do follow your process?
One thing I forgot to mention... This is a "Nvidia Geforce 2 MX400" 64 bit agp card. I dunno much about cards so I dunno if I should call it a graphics card or video card. If it is one or the other I'm sorry and that must've been why it does'nt work. I mean I dunno the difference between those two names (graphics card, video card).
I know this card works. Becuase it does without following your steps, when I do that boot up/reboot process with no drivers. So this card can't be damaged or ruined. It works. So what can I do. There must be some other steps I can follow. Some other method or something. Please help my card depends on it. I bought the fan as all of you suggested... I had to drive far to get that no one had it. & I am really dying to play the 3D game that I told you works one way but not the other. Please... Please. Everyone give me a solution!!!!
I know it works. So there has to be a way to install drivers and have it work from the beginning of the boot when I press the power button. & so be able to see the HP F1, F2 startup screen properly without scrambling, and have the games work with the drivers (forceware/whatever)!!!!!!!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I'm going nutz ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I'm literally going to go bald from pulling my hair out. HELP!!!!!
I AM IN SUPERIOR BAD SHAPE ABOUT THIS!!!! PLEASE I AM BEGGING YOU FOR HELP!!!!!!!!
this is my card by the way....
By the way I had posted questions about my card before and got no reply from no one but from one person in my private box. and that was the person that gave me the steps. help..... I'm still kinda upset from being ignored...
PLEASE HAVE MERCY HELP ME!!!
Edited by superstar, 16 March 2006 - 10:40 PM.